Flood canal project hits a brick wall<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is growing increasingly unlikely that the city
\nadministration will allocate the Rp 1.3 trillion (US$138,298)
\nneeded for clearing the 250 hectares of land for the East Flood
\nCanal Project this year as expressed by city Governor Sutiyoso in
\nFebruary.<\/p>\n
Head of the city planning agency (Bapeda) Ritola Sasmaya said
\nhere on Saturday that the 2002 city budget for development
\nprojects was Rp 3.63 trillion, while the funds allocated for
\ndrainage and flood projects was only Rp 294.3 billion.<\/p>\n
\"If we have to spend Rp 1.3 trillion for the land clearance,
\nwe have to cut other development projects. But I'm not sure there
\nare any projects that could be canceled,\" Ritola said.<\/p>\n
The 23-kilometer long East Flood Canal project which is
\nestimated to cost about Rp 12 trillion is a joint project between
\nthe Central Government and the city administration as an effort
\nto solve the annual flood problem in the city.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said in February that the land clearance, which is
\nthe responsibility of the city administration, should be
\ncompleted this year to assure that the project construction,
\nwhich will be finalized within 10 years, could be started this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Ritola said that financial constraints were not the only
\nproblem in implementing the land clearance as the land owners
\ndemanded that their lands should be priced much higher than the
\nTaxable Property Sale Value (NJOP).<\/p>\n
Ritola said that the city public works agency could only pay
\nthe owners 40 percent of the NJOP. But he said that there were
\ntwo regulations on the land clearance that contradicted each
\nother.<\/p>\n
\"One regulation says that the city should buy land from the
\npeople at the NJOP price. Another regulation says that the land
\nprice should be determined by negotiations with owners. That's
\nanother problem,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"If the city allocates money for the land clearance, there
\nshould be a political decision (made by the city council and city
\nadministration),\" he added.<\/p>\n
The East Flood Canal is part of the government's plan to build
\na half-circle-like canal along the northern and eastern parts of
\nthe city that will function as a massive drain for the 13 rivers
\nhere, which originate in the highlands of Bogor and Depok in West
\nJava and empty into the Java Sea off North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The other project is the 14-kilometer long West Flood Canal
\nconstructed in 1924 by the Dutch colonial government. That canal
\nneeds to be upgraded and properly maintained as it has fallen
\ninto disrepair in recent years.<\/p>\n
A feasibility study and design plan for the East Flood Canal
\nwas done by an Amsterdam-based consulting group, Nedeco, in 1976,
\nbut has not yet been acted upon, and since that time thousands of
\nhouses have been illegally built in the areas designated for the
\ncanal.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flood-canal-project-hits-a-brick-wall-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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